Tips for Taking (Painless) Outfit Photos

Can I let you guys in on a little secret? I really, really hate having my picture taken. More often than not, I'll be really feeling myself and decide to take blog pictures... only to be horribly disappointed when I see what I actually look like. It wasn't until recently that I started getting the hang of posing for pictures. (It being a necessary evil for fashion blogging and all.) Since I know I can't be the only one struggling here, I've got some tips.

Find a cool background to complement your ensemble. This keeps your photos visually interesting and as a bonus, shows some major love to your hometown. I've gotten so many comments and questions about the cool locations in my photos which is great because Philly has an amazing mural arts program that a lot of people don't really know about. (Like the beloved Steve Powers piece for Kurt Vile or this Keith Haring mural.) Does you live near an adorable town center? How about a favorite coffee shop? Find a way to make it local and close to your heart.


Know your angles. This comes with some trial and error. Start by standing in a way that feels natural. Take a photo then look at it. (Does not work if you're using film.) See if there's anything you can tweak such as your posture, hand placement, facial expression, etc. Fix it, take another photo, and see if it looks better. Keep it simple... you don't want to overdo it and you're not shooting some editorial piece for Vogue. You're just wearing some clothes.

Make it dynamic. Your photos will look dull if you're just standing there the whole time. Pepper in a few of you walking, leaning on a wall, putting your sunglasses on-- anything to show some motion and add a little variety.

Don't forget the details! Accessories can make or break the outfit-- don't forget to show them a little love! Just like I mentioned above about adding different dynamics, detail shots can help break up the monotony of pose after pose. It's also good because smaller accessories (like my rings in the photo above!) will get completely lost in full-body or portrait shots.

Bring along a friend. This one speaks for itself. (Friend does not have to be a dog.)

xo,
e.m.

8 comments

  1. Haha I love your little bits of wit ("friend does not have to be a dog"). I'm not a fashion blogger, so it's rare when I have photos taken of myself, but it does help to be comfortable. I personally love shots in nature scenes, because trees always make me feel at peace. Also, Kurt Vile is the jam.

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    1. Absolutely. I should have mentioned that these tips help in other situations too! It's really crazy, about a year ago, some random guy painted over the Kurt Vile mural because he thought it was inviting graffiti into the neighborhood. (He had no idea what it was.) Everybody freaked out except for Kurt himself and the artist who originally painted it.

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  2. Oh, my God, I absolutely love that baby blue dress!! I love that your style is so versatile and you are brave to be yourself. Through your clothing choices we can get through to who you really are. You are such an inspiration to me. Keep up the good work! :) xx

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    1. That is so kind, thank you so much! I have this philosophy: life is too short to not wear/do/eat what you want. Best decision I've ever made ;)

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  3. Your photos always look gorgeous!

    Rachel | www.currentlyrachel.com

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  4. Your hair is always amazing! I'm trying to grow mine out, ugh. Any tips? :)

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